Book 1  The Elemental Guardian
by Hunter of the Wild
Summary: When Naruto is Beaten again , how will the Kyuubi react and save his life? What happens if Naruto is taken in as an Apprentice by the Demon Lords? If he comes for the Chunnin Exams , Konoha must be ready. Slight Pairing in the Future! NarutoX ?
1. Prologue

DISCLAIMER- I don't own Naruto!

''Thanks old man!'' The barely four year old shouted in delight as he skipped away from the Ramen stand, Ichiraku. He immensely enjoyed the evenings with the Sandaime Hokage but even he knew that the 'old man' had work to do. The one thing that he hated after eating out, was the trek back to the orphanage. Not to mention the place itself!

His bright blond hair was like a shining beacon for drunks and the suicidal; those were the only people who dared to close in on the small child while the Hokage was still in the area. They were like moths to a flame; but they just hadn't gotten close enough yet to get burnt, always pulling away before that. That didn't mean that just those people did their 'justified' part of the psychological abuse of the four year old. Glares followed each movement, killing intent pressed down from all sides on the small child.

But the child just smiled and let the feelings and gestures of the people around slide down, like from a invisible barrier. That is exactly what he always imagined, after that time when one of the masked ANBU left him a note about it on his bed after taking pity on the kid.

Whispers followed him where ever he went and even reached beyond him. The bright eyed blond kept on smiling even though his throat felt constricted and a pressure behind his eyes kept him from thinking clearly. He only repeated one mantra in his head;

_'Keep smiling. Keep smiling. Keep smiling. Keep smiling.'_

He paid no heed to the gathering crowds in the street behind him and hurriedly climbed the steps towards the dark, almost black, doors of the orphanage. Small hands that seemed a bit _too _slim restlessly knocked on the door closest to him. No answer. The crowd behind him kept coming closed and the blond kept getting more nervous. The child counted up his possible escape routes and mentally shouted in despair when he noticed that there was no way out. Except- He shook his head and declared it impossible. He wasn't allowed to do that, the matron of the orphanage had forbidden.

He turned around to meet the blood chilling gazes of the people behind him. At that instance, he knew that we was most probably not going to survive that night. Their eyes were filled with blood lust and a different kind of lust than normally seen; lust after his death. Normally lively blue eyes turned dull and the child wanted to cry out at them.

_'WHY? I haven't done anything! What did I do?'_

He broke down in sobs and collapsed onto the floor. The crowd descended on him like a starving pack of wolves and started ripping him apart figuratively. Even though weapons bit into skins, his bones broke, the child did not lash out towards the attackers.

Deep in his mind, a fierce force broke out of the chains holding him in his slumber. Large Amber eyes snapped open and narrowed as he remembered his situation. He inspected the cage he was contained in and focused on the paper on the lock. _'Seal ,eh?'_ He tuned into his host's feelings and growled as he _felt _the despair and utter hopelessness the blond showed. A red mist-like substance seeped through the bars and flowed towards the exit.

Kyuubi took in the escaping chakra and grinned maliciously.

No one would dare attack his host after this. After all, Naruto was now under **his protection.**

Outside

A shinobi sat on the orphanage's roof and watched in morbid fascination as the villagers _tortured _the blond jinchuriki. He watched as they took _delight _in it. He wanted no part in it, but was not opposed to the idea of them killing the brat. But then again, he thought, they were taking it a bit to far. He was just about to jump down and either stop them, or tell them to get a move on, when the red chakra started covering the downed boy and burning all those close to him.

His eyes widened in surprise and he quickly backtracked, not wanting to get caught up in the soon to come problems. Luckily he did so, since a few moments after he dashed behind the chimney, the red chakra _exploded_ in all directions, instantly killing the crowd. The closest ones disintegrated and the rest were blown into smithereens. The buildings were barely standing and some had even collapsed, perhaps injuring those inside. The front of the orphanage was completely open and a bunch of scared and dirty children loomed out.

Naruto sat between all of it and was staring at everything in a dumbfounded way. The unknown shinobi jumped down and cautiously approached the four year old. ''I'm gonna take you to the Hokage, kid. Is that okay with you?'' He decided to suppress his dislike for now, just enough to get the kid to the Hokage.

The blue eyed child looked up at the shinobi and took in his slightly weathered appearance. He didn't look threatening. He nodded and tried to speak, but couldn't. He reached for his throat and made hysterical movements toward it. The shinobi quickly calmed him down with the words ''It's only shock. It'll go away soon.'' Naruto was comforted by those words and clung to the shinobi's back when he was put there. Silently, he broke into sobs.

The shinobi's face softened for a moment and then look soon disappeared. He couldn't afford to stop and comfort the kid. He jumped up, towards the closest, _stable _roof and sprinted towards the Hokage tower at high-chunin speed. He didn't bother going through the doors and instantly pumped his chakra to his legs while crouching. In one large leap, he stood by the Hokage's window and impatiently kicked to window.

That drew the Sandaime's attention from paper work towards the Konoha chunin at his window. Hiruzen's face twisted in confusion and he then only noticed the quivering lump on the chunin's back. ''Naruto?'' He hastily opened the window and grabbed the child from the shinobi's back. Sarutobi cradled the little boy in his arms while sitting down. The boy shivered and clung to him but soon slipped into a fitful sleep.

''Konoha chunin, Genta, report.''

The chunin did as ordered and winced at the expression on the Sandaime's face. ''So, you only then brought him to me?'' Genta nodded slowly and watched as the older man's age showed as Sarutobi sighed. ''Six months of D-rank missions, Genta, and I hope you never make this mistake again. The boy is a container.'' He paused and then directed his full attention at the chunin.

''Let me ask you something. When you drink a glass of water, do you drink the water inside or the glass itself? The boy is the glass, not the water. Think about it.'' Sarutobi said while waving his hand in a shoo-ing motion, effectively dismissing him.

Just as Genta left the office, Sarutobi's battle-honed senses went on full alert. He stood up fluidly and sat the sleeping Naruto down. ''ANBU, stand alert.'' As he stated the sentence, 5 masked shinobi appeared from various places. Inu, Cat, Bear, Frog and Snake, all stood around the Hokage in a defensive position.

A sudden sneer brought their attention to the man standing behind them with the small jinchuriki in his arms. ''You protect the battle hardened Hokage, but not the defenseless child? I'm disappointed. Well, thank you for locating Kyuubi-sama for us and watching his new protégé. Good bye.'' With that, the man sunk into the shadows and disappeared.

Sarutobi Hiruzen broke down in shock and quietly sat down on his large 'Hokage' chair. How often had he joked about this chair with Naruto? How often had Naruto said he would sit upon this chair and be Hokage?

Now, Sandaime thought, he would probably never, unless somebody retrieved him.

''Send out the best of the best, Inu.'' Sandaime sighed.

''Mission objective?''

''Retrieve Uzumaki Naruto.''


	2. Accept or decline?

Hey guys! It's me again :D I was stuck with a major writer's block and I recently read that you jut had to write to overcome it! So, here's my attempt at clearing that block up xD This chapter is a bit... well, weird. Thank to all those who like this story and I'd appreciate a few reviews with suggestions c:

Diclaimer: I do not own any characters from the anime/manga Naruto in any way. I only own my version of THIS plot and some of the OCs that are going to appear.

The retrieval mission for Naruto Uzumaki seemed to be a complete failure. ANBU, spies, jounin- all failed at simply discovering information on his whereabouts. The only thing that the Hokage knew was that his beloved village Konoha would regret treating their saviour like the lowest of scum.

His sudden disappearance led to much celebrating and indifferent shrugs. Two things were mainly the thought of the population- 'Why should I care?' and 'The demon's finally dead!' A rare number of citizens actually mourned the disappearance of the cheeky blond. The Ichiraku Ramen Stand closed for the remainder of the week. Hinata Hyuuga became shyer . The Hokage held more remorse for his actions and became fiercer.

But throughout the years Naruto Uzumaki was not seen again by any of the inhabitants of the village hidden in the leaves.

* * *

''Open your eyes, little one.''

The dark and intensive voice reached through Naruto's confused and dazed mind, slowly pulling him back through murky shadows to the surface of his conscious. Startled blue eyes focused on the shape hovering above his face. Large, curious green eyes watched the startled boy scramble back and fire hasty questions. ''Who are you? What do you want?''

_Those jaded blue eyes..._

The figure stood up to it's full height and turned out to be a young woman who was perhaps in her late twenties. Her green eyes stood out from her pale face and almost tan colored hair. Her pink lips spread into a kind smile and crouched down again. ''You may call me San for now.''

The small boy's face scrunched up. ''You're called Three?'' Said woman only laughed and reached out with a delicate hand to ruffle the short blond hair. ''I'm here to lead you to a new life, but only if you wish so.'' San knew that it was wrong to ask a little boy to make a decision that would either haunt or satisfy him for the rest of his life. Confusion was clear on Naruto's face and he reached up to flatten his hair instinctively. ''Why would you? I'm a monster, people don't want me near them.''

San's green eyes glowed ominously and chakra leaked through, forming a slight barrier on her skin. ''You are NOT a monster, little one. Do not let anyone tell you that.'' Her hands clenched into tight fists and she closed her eyes, seeking to calm herself. It wouldn't do to scare the small child.

Naruto looked up in surprise as the tall woman he hardly knew jumped to his defence. Was it just an act? Would she turn on him when he least suspected it? Was she just like those before? Question brimmed his mind, threatening to spill out in an uncontrolled mess. He reached out with a too-thin hand and clasped the fisted hands of the woman before him. ''Don't be angry.'' He pleaded with her, seeking to know her true intentions. San opened her eyes again, only to be confronted with a questioning look from the four year old child.

His brilliantly blue eyes seemed so tired and ancient for a moment that San scooped up Naruto into her arms and let herself cry over his lost childhood. The cruel side of humanity had taken yet another sacrifice and turned it into something desolate and incomplete.

Naruto fisted the burgundy tunic of the older woman and was soon racked by sobs. ''...why?'', was the only thing he said in the embrace of the person that he already trusted fully.

Having finally found somebody to confide and trust in, Naruto let his barriers break down and let himself be swept away by his emotions. He immersed himself in the good memories of his four years and basked in the awe-inspiring joy he felt.

San held onto the small boy and felt a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, when Naruto started to giggle soundlessly, when his sobs turned into a comfortable silence. Had he built himself barriers to keep himself from feeling too many emotions like she herself had once done? _Did those people even notice?_ San mused to herself.

When Naruto suddenly went limp in her arms, San felt a bit comforted. _Kyuubi-sama is going to talk to him. Hopefully he won't be too angry with the society... _She stood up in one fluent movement and silently walked around the camp while carefully moving Naruto onto one hip.

_I'm going to have to clean up camp alone, it seems. The damn brat disappeared again. _

The blond woman sighed regretfully and wiped at her eyes again. She had never cried for anybody, but this small boy had reduced her to tears with a single gaze. She shook her head and tried to clear her mind. Her mission was only to bring the boy back to the village safely and of his free will. She hadn't been required to get herself involved personally.

San was known for being a kind but also distant person that didn't open herself to other people and didn't let anybody too close. So why had she felt that she needed to protect the child from harm? She didn't know.

With another confused sigh, San set down Naruto carefully on a blanket and started packing up the make-shift camp.

Naruto had been swimming in a bunch of joyful emotions when maroon tendrils had approached him. They had a feeling of distant anger but Naruto didn't feel threatened by it. They exuded an air of fierce protectiveness and loyalty, swirling between his colourful emotions while selectively taking out those masses of colour that seemed a bit threatening.

When one of those tendrils touched him, they curled around the limb. Soon the blond had multiple tendrils curling around him in a make-shift embrace. Naruto sighed peacefully and didn't struggle when he was tugged to the side. With a final tug, the blond stumbled out of the colour full mass of emotions onto a hard, grey cement floor.

Naruto scrambled upright and held himself in a submissive position. _This looks like Konoha's sewers... _Blue eyes quickly filled up with tears. _Did San leave me here? Was she just tricking me? _Through his tears, Naruto managed to glimpse the maroon tendrils beckoning to him. ''Huh?'' Looking over his back, the blue eyed blond expected to see the same mass of emotions from before. But what he saw was a bleak gray cement wall with pipes crisscrossing over it.

Even though he kept on crying, Naruto grabbed one of the proffered tendrils and led himself be lead through a huge amount of rooms and sewer connections. With tears blurring his view, Naruto stumbled along the way and finally fell to the floor when the tendrils disappeared. _They left me too..._

_**Naruto...**_

Nobody wanted him.

_**Naruto...**_

Why had he even tried?

_**NARUTO!**_

When the loud voice echoed through the surprisingly large room, Naruto's fearful gaze was met by a pair of huge red eyes that seemed to be narrowed in irritation. ''W-who are you?'', Naruto asked quietly, already exhausted emotionally through the day's events.

**I am the Konoha's nightmare. **

The large red eyes glowed ominously once and then started shrinking.

**I am the destroyer of Shinigami-sama's enemies. **

The shadow that had covered the whole room started compressing and forming a cage with a seal attached to the lock.

**I am the collector of souls.**

A fierce looking man stepped out from the shadows behind the bars. He bared elongated canines in a wicked looking grin.

**I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune.**

Thanks for reading! I hoped you enjoy that xD I'll try to update one of my stories each week :D Wish me luck, huh?


	3. Kyuubi's acceptance

''**Do you know the muffin man? ''-** Demon talking

'_**Yes, I know the muffin man. '-**_ Demon thoughts

''Then that makes two of us then who-'' – Human talking

'_-know the muffin man.' _– Human thoughts

**Last Time on Elemental Guardian – **

_**Naruto...**_

_Nobody wanted him._

_**Naruto...**_

_Why had he even tried?_

_**NARUTO!**_

_When the loud voice echoed through the surprisingly large room, Naruto's fearful gaze was met by a pair of huge red eyes that seemed to be narrowed in irritation. ''W-who are you?'', Naruto asked quietly, already exhausted emotionally through the day's events._

_**I am the Konoha's nightmare. **_

_The large red eyes glowed ominously once and then started shrinking._

_**I am the destroyer of Shinigami-sama's enemies. **_

_The shadow that had covered the whole room started compressing and forming a cage with a seal attached to the lock._

_**I am the collector of souls.**_

_A fierce looking man stepped out from the shadows behind the bars. He bared elongated canines in a wicked looking grin._

_**I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune.**_

**Going on with the story….**

Naruto barely managed to watch the man change, when sewer pipes started rattling extremely fast, almost exploding at some points. Turning with wide blue eyes, the small blond simply blocked out Kyuubi's appearance while inspecting the pipes. There were four different ones he could see; a rusty and blocked pipe, another that had blue liquid leaking out everywhere, the rattling pipes which were glowing a dark intensive red color and the last pipes which looked as though they had never been used. Running a finger over the rusty pipe, a sudden chill went down his back. '_What was that?_'

''**That was a part of your mind reacting to you touching it.''**

The sudden sentence shocked Naruto out of his reverie and brought his attention back to the intimidating man with red eyes that he had tried to ignore. ''Huh?'', the blond asked while staring at Kyuubi's canines. Kyuubi only sighed and smiled softly, ''**As I've already told you, I am the Kyuub-'' **

''Are you going to eat me, Mr. Fox? Are you here to punish me?''

The seemingly innocent questions had Kyuubi looking down at the blue-eyed Jinchuuriki in shock and sadness at the small quivering form of the four year old. Sweeping the floor with the long coat that he wore, the man crouched down as to seem less threatening to the small boy who seemed to be as skittish as a wild animal. ''**No, ****I'm here to help you. I am the biju that attacked your home four years ago, the Kyuubi no Kitsune.'' **Naruto inched closer to the man and the cage wall that separated them. ''Help? How?''Kyuubi reached out with an elegant hand, offering his friendship to the small child. ''**However you want me to.''** A wide smile broke across Naruto's face, highlighting small dimples in his cheeks.

''My name's Naruto, Mr. Fox. What's your name?'', shyly asked the blue-eyed child, looking up at the Kyuubi, a terrifying creature of mass destruction, with something akin to respect and child-like adoration. The red head contemplated saying Kyuubi, but that name wouldn't make his container's life any easier. ''**Just call me Hikaru.''** Naruto grasped the hand and pulled the man up with him. ''Well, Karu-san, what'd you want to do?'' He looked up at the ceiling high bars while a troubled look overcame his features. ''It must be pretty boring in there…''

The personified Kyuubi simply laughed at the child's naivety and shook his head lightly. ''**No Naru-kun, I'm here to help you. It's about what YOU want.'' **Naruto simply stared wide-eyed at the sentiment. ''Me? But I'm only….well, me.'' He looked down at his feet for a moment before whipping his head towards one of the pipes on the walls that seemed about ready to burst; the blue liquid was simply everywhere!

'_**That's what makes you special, brat.' **_Hikaru grinned wickedly at the child, who seemed to be staring at the wall. Raising an eye brow, the red-eyed man turned his view to the subject of Naruto's intense scrutiny. He gaped at what he believed where Naruto's chakra pathways. Coughing, Hikaru asked the most prominent question on his mind- ''**How old did you say you were?'' **Naruto stopped his staring and proudly showed him four fingers. ''I turned four a few days ago. But, eh, Karu-san, what are those pipes?'' With that question reminding himself of how he got here, Naruto burst out into multiple questions. ''Where is this? How did I get here? Did San leave me here? Are you going to leave me too?'' Somewhere in between his questions, the blond had started crying.

Kyuubi's face contorted into one of discomfort. He may have taken a liking to the four year old, but he was still the Kyuubi, one of the Shinigami's servants and NOT suited for comforting little children. ''**Eh, no, I'm not going to leave you. As for where we are, we are currently in your mind. No, San did not leave you here. I called you here. As for those pipes- well, that is a long story, but I can explain some of it to you.''** Kyuubi tightened his hold on Naruto's hand. The child quickly wiped his tears away, slightly embarrassed by his blatant behavior.

''My mind? But…what'cha doing here then?''

The question left Hikaru in a difficult position. Should he explain the whole story or simply tell the child some fantasy? Would Naruto be mature enough to know when to let people know about his burden? His tanned face settled into a determined expression. The demon should know better after having seen the child personally; of course Naruto would keep it secret if Hikaru just asked him to.

''**Well, Naru-kun, can you keep a secret?'' **

Blue eyes lit up with pleasure at the thought of someone trusting him enough to tell him a secret.

''Un! Sure, I can!'' Naruto shook his head vigorously, almost pleading with the human version of the demon king. Hikaru grinned, showing off dangerously sharp canines in a wicked way. ''**The day you were born Naru-kun, I attacked your village. I was searching for a specific soul that was supposed to be sent to the afterlife, but your village started a counter-attack, believing me an immediate threat to their safety. The Yondaime then performed a jutsu of unbelievable proportions; he summoned Shinigami-sama and had him perform the task of sealing me away.''**

Naruto's face was screwed up in concentration, trying to follow the elder's words closely. ''I understand somewhat.'', he admitted while lowering bright blue eyes. ''What has that got to do with me?''

''**I am a being made solidly out of energy. I could not be contained in a simple item like a pot. They ****needed something that would have the willpower to hold me back if I wanted to escape. They needed a human baby.'' **Kyuubi paused slightly.

''**They needed you.''**

''Me? You were sealed into… me?'' Seemingly without a care in the world, the small child fell to his knees, staring into the fox demon's intent crimson eyes. The other nodded and smiled lightly. ''I hope you don't mind Karu-san!'' The exclamation was followed by accidental puppy-eyes. ''**Never.''**

That single sentence brought peace to the four year olds mind, laying down an arising conflict.

''**And those pipes symbolize different parts of you. You know what chakra is?'' **With a nod from Naruto, Hikaru continued. ''**The pipes that glowing blue and leaking are your chakra pathways and the amount of chakra you hold. The red ones are my chakra that will one day be open for your use. The rusty ones are your mind pipes- it seems as though they have been tampered with quite a bit. But as for the last pipe line, I have absolutely no idea.'' **Naruto turned his head to the four pipe lines, watching as rust slowly started flaking off his mind pipes. ''They're getting better know?'' At that, the child turned his gaze towards the ancient being. Kyuubi's eyes were closed and his mouth was set in a smile of determination. ''**I'll clear them up for you. Go back to San, she's probably waiting for you to wake up again!'' **White hair was carded back as the human version of the demon sighed in frustration.

''Bye Karu-san! We'll talk again, right?'' Naruto watched as Hikaru nodded in acceptance and grinned slightly as he felt Naruto's insecurity.

A spinning sensation encroached upon the blonds' mind like a predator waiting for its prey and Naruto succumbed to it, falling backwards towards the floor. He braced himself for impact only to be surprised when he awoke on a soft blanket next to a fire. Naruto scrambled unto his feet, gazing around him in worry of a true predator.

''Hey Blondie.''

At the sound of the tenor voice, Naruto's head snapped skyward to see a undistinguishable from sitting in a large oak tree about 7 meters away from him. The person was almost a faceless green figure hidden in between the large green leaves typical for Fire Country. The shadow nimbly jumped down from the tree to 5 meters away from Naruto.

''I guess San already got you settled, huh? I wonder what that old fool is doing about the situation? Sending other nin?'' The identified man settled down unto his knees, drawing the four year olds attention to the man's large build with strong muscles, his deep black hair and startling amber eyes. ''Uh, who are you?'' Naruto asked with no small amount of fear. The man let out a hearty laugh. ''You may call me Yon for now.''

Blond eyebrows furrowed in thought. ''Are you by any chance related to…Kyuu?''

Yon stopped laughing and stared at Naruto with a questioning glint in his amber eyes. ''In a way.'', he admitted sheepishly, ''but sometimes I'd rather not be.''


End file.
